Tuesday, 21 October 2008

Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2008 Day 2 - Saturday October 18, 2008

Day 2 at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival is marathon day with 4 screenings totalling 8 films (4 features and 4 shorts) and screenings running from 4pm to well after midnight. The good news is we had lots of rocking films be they rock operas or films without any words at all. The crowds were very enthusiastic which kept the energy flowing throughout the day.

Peter Kuplowsky Programmer, Short Film and David Birnbaum Director of Found Objects

Found ObjectsDir: David BirnbaumCanada, 200718 min

Films like Found Objects are few and far between with its beautiful yet bizarre storytelling style of no verbal language yet clear story in an unique setting that is familiar enough to understand and wild enough to keep you reeled in hook, line and sinker. The dark, haunting style is enhanced with a score where music tells the story just as much as the visuals. A welcome look at a wild new world.

It is a breath of fresh air to see hand-drawn and beautiful tactile animation style of Bill Plympton in a world where CGI is seen around every corner. In Idiots & Angels we feel the characters movements viscerally through this animation style which is heightened by the expressive but wordless dialogue. Although the story didn't quite resonate with me, depicting characters that were not very likable the film is without a doubt a stylistic triumph.

Hydro-LevesqueDir: Matthew RankinCanada, 200816 min

One of the things I love at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival is how Canadian the Canada Shorts program is, and Hydro-Levesque is a perfect example of that. Where else would you see a politically charged Quebec pitted against Winnipeg on the verge of extinction. Whom takes the task of bridging the nation? A Sign Language video-interpreting nun, of course. All of this told through a wild visual style that reminisces of Canada of yesteryear, this film is quite a feat.

My initial reaction to seeing Mirageman was that it is the most awesome martial arts superhero film ever! Now that I've had a few days to think about it, I still think my initial assessment is spot on. Mirageman takes the premise of what would happen is a regular person set out to be a superhero. Although our protagonist Maco (played by Marko Zaror), is a cut above being just a regular guy as he is also one kick butt martial artist. Even so, he doesn't neecessarily have a leg up on the world. The beautiful thing about Mirageman is it is more than just a genre film. Sure, their are killer kicks, witty humour and a great 70's vibe with the music but it's also has a strong story with fantastic character development and adeptly shows both the tender and terrible side of people. The heart of the film really is the journey of Mirageman, whom you care about. Why? You care about Mirageman - because Mirageman cares about you.

The Flower is short and not-so-sweet look at one charismatic little flower. Cute as all get out, this flower puppet has a one track mind! It is easily one of the favourites of the festival with the audience erupting into laughter for almost the full 2 minutes. Hilarious!

Where to begin with a film like Repo! The Genetic Opera? The screening was packed to the gills and the audience included fans dressed in costumes of characters in the film. The energy in the room was very high, which is one of the joys about seeing films in a festival setting. It's not hard to see why the film already has a cult following with its unique story of collection agents for delinquent organ replacement recipients, fantastic art direction and costuming. I did enjoy the music and the performances that stood out were Sarah Brightman, Terrance Zdunich and Anthony Stewart Head. The level of violence was understandable high although for the most part campy. I did wish the world that was created was a bit more flushed out, specifically I wondered if there were any normal law abiding citizens that could afford their replacement organs as we in general saw the extremes of the rich folk and black market. Overall, I enjoyed the film and have found myself thinking about it frequently and have had songs like "Legal Assassin", "Zydrate Anatomy" and "At the Opera Tonight" running through my head for days.

What a happy surprize Donkey Punch was! I almost didn't go see the film literally based on what a donkey punch is (see definition, which is a mild spoiler) and the idea alone is quite disturbing. But, I decided to soldier though and attend the late night screening which proved to be a good thing because just as a book shouldn't be based on a cover a film shouldn't be based one title alone. A thriller at heart, the film expertly shows human nature when people are pitted to the extremes and also captures the unique sense of uncomfort of when in stressful situations with near strangers. The acting is impecable and the tension rides high on the best thriller at sea film I've ever seen.

Donkey Punch is set to release in the US in February 2009. Canadian release date is to be determined but it has been picked up and the Canadian release will be an uncensored version.